Even though Texas beat USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl, anyone who had followed the Trojans knew that they were the superior NFL superstar factory.Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, and (to a slightly lesser degree) LenDale White seemed to be locks to make a splash in the NFL. But nearly two years after that Rose Bowl defeat, things aren't going quite as planned for the terrific trio.
Of the three, White had the most question marks entering the NFL. White came into the draft with a torn hammy, which effectively lowered his stock and relegated him to the second round. After a very workmanlike rookie season, White has rebounded a little bit this year, averaging about 16 rushes and 60 yards a game.
White leads the Titans in carries, but that doesn't make him a feature back. And quite frankly, I'm not convinced he ever will be.
A more compelling storyline of late has been that of Matt Leinart, who was benched late in last week's game against the Ravens. Leinart claims it's still "my team" and Cardinals' coach Ken Whisenhunt says Leinart is still the starter, even while behaving as if he doubts about Leinart's status as the franchise quarterback.
But most unexpected has been the plight of former Heisman winner Reggie Bush, who has devolved from super-utility back to jack of all trades, master of none. After a solid but not stellar rookie campaign, Bush (and the rest of the Saints) have been abysmal this year. Bush hasn't even hit the century mark in yardage for the season.
Why the struggles for these three? It could be nothing more than growing pains, and they may all be on their way to stardom. But it could be that the NFL is a very different game than college, and being a star at the one level doesn't necessarily guarantee success at the next.
Combines and video clips and Wonderlic tests tell a story, but it's not always the whole story. While the nation watched googly-eyed at the finesse and speed and power of Leinart, Bush and White, the Longhorns did what it took to win the football game.
And in Tennessee, Vince Young is having the last laugh once again.
2 comments:
Interesting... I hadn't really thought of this before, how all three of them are struggling. And yeah, I really thought Bush would be a lot better than he has been.
You make a lot of great points in this article. I guess the Houston Texans knew what they were doing by passing on Leinart and Bush. As for Young, though......
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